Fade to Black
by nonsenseandrambles
Summary: You are an undercover agent, sent to investigate the wealthy Ichinomiya Group. For months on end, you could find nothing, despite rumours of thievery, drugs, the mafia and secret auctions. One day, you mistakenly sold in the auctions, to the CEO- Eisuke Ichinomiya. You decide to take advantage of the situation. Nothing could prepare you for what was to come. ReaderXEisuke
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

You hadn't realized how screwed you were until you felt the spotlight shining on you. A thousand eyes on you, and you were locked up like a little bird.

The announcer's voice had proclaimed that you were the next one up for bid, and whoever won could do whatever they wanted with you. You cringed as you registered his voice, eyes dancing across the room for an escape, for a plan, for anyway out.

You had nothing, no back-up plan, no partner.

The bidding began, starting at a half a million dollars and quickly escalating past one million dollars.

You tried to pull your arms apart but they were cuffed together. You were disarmed and dressed in bright white dress, as if to signify your purity. No possible weapon, no possible escape option, and you were gagged. You snorted. Where was the FBI when you needed them the most?

For the past few months, you had been working a sting undercover as a maid in a hotel, owned by the Ichinomiya Group, one of the largest in Japan. They owned banks, hotels, trading companies, whatever you could possibly name. They also had many dealings overseas, which is what triggered the whole operation in the first place.

You remembered your excitement when the boss had offered you the job undercover, as you were proficient in Japanese, but felt less and less excited as the details came out. You were to work as a maid, find out about the secret auctions which took place in the hotel, attempt to get close to the board of directors or any executive. You were supposed to work together with the Japanese police, but they had their hands full with the mafia, the Ice Dragons.

Most of your teammates and partners had delegated their work to taking the corrupt board of directors of the Ichinomiya Group down, but Eisuke Ichinomiya had a flawless record and perfect paper, accounting and administrative work. They would sit in the office all day while you would come to the office exhausted from doing your job as a maid, in order to do your job as an agent.

The more time went on, the more discouraged you and your taskforce got. Your boss had completely shifted her attention onto the mafia, your coworkers had begun to lose faith in the rumoured auctions, and you had been too tired to argue after dealing with guests and scrubbing floors for rich people all day. The whole operation had been careening towards a full on bust. In desperation, you had attempted to become more assertive at your job, despite your fake personality as a meek maid.

You had met Eisuke Ichinomiya only twice.

The first time was utter devastation. He had been walking past the hotel front lobby, and you and your new friend Sakiko had been angling at a glance at him. You were pushed by the crowd and nearly fell into his arms, and instead, fell to the floor at his feet in one of the most humiliating moments of your life. He had merely glared at you and walked away as his entourage scolded you.

You could feel the burning anger inside you begin to rise. It was that man, right there, Eisuke, the one who had created this whole shame of a case, leaving no traces behind of any type of evidence. He had been the source of your constant misery for months on end, and he had the nerve to glare at you?

He probably hadn't spared a single thought about you, just thought you were a silly young maid with a crush on the big boss. You made up your mind then, to engage in the most un-agent-like behaviour you had ever conducted in, and break into his penthouse suite that evening. You never got the chance, however.

Because the second time had been on the same day, at the party in the I.V.C. You were working there for all the celebs, the politicians and the businessmen. You were evading awkward touching and attempting to do a good job, despite the stocky man trying to hit on you. He told you that he was worth over 500 million dollars, and you were debating with yourself to take him up on his offer, so you could have the budget to quit the case and pursue other, more relevant ones. Maybe you could finally get that apartment you had been eyeing for ages. You had shaken away your crazy thoughts then, before Ichinomiya walked up to you, scowled, and announced that the party was officially trashy. You probably looked at him the wrong way or something. He then ordered you to move aside, you were blocking his path. You bit back a few choice words, before apologizing, and he made his way out the door.

You noticed that he had dropped a white glove onto the floor. He was exiting the party at a breathtaking speed. Quickly making up your mind, you grabbed the glove and meekly called after him, so you could leave the party under the guise of concern for a client.

You were lead to a long hallway, with several doors on either side of the hallway. He wasn't there. You could heard voice coming from the far room, and your heart began to pound.

You looked through the gap, and saw briefcases lying on a table, filled with guns and money. There were men in black discussing something in hushed voice. You couldn't identify what language it was, it was certainly not Japanese or English- perhaps Cantonese or Mandarin.

At this moment, hope was injected back into your body. You began to feel like yourself again. Your fingers began to twitch, feeling the excitement of opportunity and illegal activity literally turning you back on from a robot to a human being. But before you could react or begin to investigate, you were accosted by a handsome looking Chinese man, with slicked back hair, and a suit and tie. He had asked you what you were doing here, and in your guise as a terrified maid, you had babbled incoherently and apologized.

He ordered you to forget everything you saw, or face death. You nodded over and over, like a shameless bobble head, and he lets you go.

You begin running down to the basement of the hotel, pulse racing. You knew who that man was. Soryu Oh, a known mafia associate, part of the Ice Dragons. You had seen his face in pictures, accompanied by a group of intimidating looking men. Your boss was going to flip- what on earth was a mobster doing here, engaging in illegal activities, in Ichinomiya's hotel?

Yes, your undercover scheme was worth it. The mafia was definitely here, secret auctions or not. Finally, you had something to show for, something to prove.

You were debating making the call from the basement of the hotel, where you had previously stashed a burn phone. You had to let your colleagues know that you weren't completely useless, and that we were on to something.

Your luck was about to run out at that point. You hear a crash, see two men inspecting something that had broken into a box. They began to wail that the statue was broken, a beautiful broken glass statue… that resembled another case that was assigned to Interpol. The President of France had given Japan this statue as a gift- but it was stolen from a museum. The case kept getting more and more intense.

When they had looked up, they had yelled at you, said that the statue was something that was to be put on auction. At that word, you had approached them slowly, like an animal. An auction? What auction? The stolen statue? The guns? The drugs? You had barely got in a word before a third man had crept up behind you, hit you hard over the head, and you woke up in a cage.

The bidding was still going. You were at a measly 2 million dollars now, and beginning to feel insulted. An older man was bidding on you, over and over again. You looked straight at him, realizing it was the same stocky man from before. This was no problem, you could intimidate your way out of this one and put him in jail before anyone would know the wiser. Furthermore, you could probably still keep working the case.

The auctioneer began to countdown, and you squeezed your eyes shut. You knew that there were secret auctions, you just knew it. And finally, finally, your work had paid off, even though you knew that this was possibly the most terrible situation to be in at this point. You had what you needed, some sliver of evidence that you and your team weren't actually crazy. All you needed to do was some more investigation, and of course, get yourself to safety.

Then, the bid of 20 million dollars came from the seat 100. You had actually frozen in shock. A bell sounded, a screen flashed the number which you were bought for, and the auction came to a close.

20 million? You were stunned by the ridiculous number. In fact, you were so shell-shocked, you didn't even fight against the men leading you to the highest bidder.

You were lead away from the stage to the hotel's penthouse by two familiar looking men, before you turned face-to-face with two other immediately recognizable men.

Soryu Oh, member of the mafia, with the sharp eyes.

And the number one person of interest, Eisuke Ichinomiya.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

You had narrowed your eyes at the four suspicious men in front of you. Your instincts were just screaming at you at this point- these were dangerous men. This was a dangerous place. You needed to get out.

You recognized the prettiest looking man, with caramel coloured hair and amber eyes. He had the artist look, although you knew that easily because he was a famous painter, by the name of Ota Kisaki. The innocent didn't fool you, however. For some reason, you could sense something sinister emitting from him.

The one in the hat and the red jacket was Baba Mitsunari, who constantly looked at you with a flirty grin. He was easygoing and friendly. He worried you the least out of all the four men. He had been revealed as a thief only a bit before, confirming your suspicions that you were in a group of very bad men.

The mobster, the one who had threatened you, hadn't stopped glaring at you since you were brought to the penthouse. Soryu Oh. You had examined what seemed like a thousand files on the single man, his comings and goings, all his liaisons. You could tell that he thought you were extremely suspicious, and you were sure that he was packing a gun.

And finally, the man of the hour, the one whom you had refused to look in the eye. Eisuke Ichinomiya. He was wearing a sharp looking suit and a permanent smirk across his lips. He had his arms folded across his chest. He was intimidating, for sure. You didn't have to fake being somewhat afraid of him.

The two, more talkative ones, Ota and Baba inform you that you've been sold to them as part of a secret auction. Human trafficking was clearly not off-limits, and anything could be up for auctions- stolen artifacts, information brokers, hitmen, drugs, and other black market materials.

You speak for the first time in a while. "Who on earth would have approved of this-"

"I did." Eisuke spoke, his voice menacing and cold. "If anything is worth anything, it's here."

Soryu spoke up quickly. "You're reckless as usual. This woman isn't worth anything."

You think privately in your head. You were plenty useful, even as a maid. It was hard enough for the Tres Spade Hotel to find someone as hardworking as the employed maids. These men probably couldn't clean or help out in their rich lives.

"Won't it be fun thinking up ways to use her?" Eisuke asked sadistically, and you feel a cold trickle slowly go down your spine.

"I don't think you get to decide that," you say dismissively, finally looking at him in the face.

"Who gave you permission to speak?" He asked, facing away from you. "Don't open your mouth until I say so."

You were actually rendered speechless by his pure arrogance, though, you could tell that his personality wasn't a shock to the other men. None of their demeanours had changed. You had half a mind to reach out and pull a gun on them, just to wipe the self-satisfied grins off of their faces. The rich were always like that, frowning upon those with less than them. What you would have given to see one of them realize who you truly were.

But you remembered who you were, and you remembered what you had to do. "You can't do it!" You wailed listlessly, "Human trafficking is illegal, I'll report you to the police!" You acted as any normal citizen would have done, threatening to call the police.

"You see a cop anywhere?" Eisuke asked Soryu.

Soryu motioned near the window. "Right over there." There stood a tired looking man, smoking a cigarette, hands in his pocket.

"Don't just blow my cover like that," The man snapped, sliding his cigarette out of his mouth with two fingers. Your heart thumped.

"Dr. Detective…" Ota was speaking to him, but you had barely registered what the men were saying.

The police were in on this? You wondered, before finally coming to the realization that what you had stumbled into was way larger than anything you had thought before. It made so much sense- why the local police were so unwilling to cooperate, why they announced that the Ice Dragons were their prime enemy because they didn't want to investigate Ichinomiya, and because they were sleeping with their enemies.

"Listen," Eisuke snapped at you, breaking you out of your panicked reverie. "I don't want to waste any more time on this. I'll let you choose who buys you."

That was generous of a man who didn't seem to have a heart.

You refused to speak, holding his gaze tightly, ignoring your surroundings. He could sense your position before smiling and grabbing you. You knew that he loved a challenge.

In any case, you didn't care whoever chose you, so long as you could pry into their lives. They all had their merits, each intertwined into taking the other ones out. But Eisuke Ichinomiya was the biggest fish, the most important one, the brains behind the operation, and you wanted him the most.

"Time's up," He said, throwing you over his shoulder as you threw a fit for effect. In reality, you were actually quite annoyed at being thrown around like a ragdoll for the millionaire to play with. You watched as he made his way up the stairs. You were brought up to his bedroom, and are surprised when the first thing he does is throw you down on the bed.

"What on earth are you doing?" You couldn't help but let out some of your annoyance at him before closing your mouth.

His voice somehow got even icier in the moments that he had last spoken. "There are ground rules. Do not talk back to me. You may answer my questions with "yes" or "okay"." You make a mental note that those two words meant the same thing, before he continued. "Those two words are the only things you are allowed to say without permission."

He leans down, grabbing my chin in a tight grip and looks down at me. The corner of his mouth twitches as you stare back, unafraid, despite the position that you were in. "I bought you, so I can do whatever I want with you." The man had the coldest stare you had ever seen, but something about it was so sad, almost lonely in a sense. "If you understand, then undress."

You blinked in surprise, before pulling back abruptly. It wasn't as if you weren't prepared for this, you just didn't expect it to come so soon. "Yes."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Hey guys! This is my first published fanfic. I've spent a lot of my life writing, and this pairing has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. So I decided, why not write a fanfic for oresama Eisuke? Rating will change to M! This story also departs heavily from canon. Please like, share, follow and review!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Eisuke Ichinomiya grabs you by your collar roughly, making you lurch forward in surprise. It made the top of your dress pop open, exposing your chest. You refused to close your eyes, back down, or stop staring at him. He had no expression on his face as he slowly moved back and away from you, shaking his head.

"What a waste." He murmured under his breath, clapping his hands together softly before walking away. "I suppose I am going to have to find some use for you."

What a shame, you thought to yourself, disappointed, as he made his way out the room. You sat on the bed on your knees, your cleavage showing, and he hadn't had the slightest interest. The man was not easily swayed by his sexual desires, it seemed. Or, was it the simple fact that he was not yet interested in you?

You began to pout before you stood up, deciding to check in the drawers and desks around you. It was a simple bedroom, typical of the hotel's design, yet slightly more flashy and flamboyant. Only the best for the King of the Hotel, it would seem. You ran your fingers along the bed, closing your eyes, and feeling the Egyptian cotton in content.

"What a mess," you sighed in, as the day's moments had truly hit you. You had finished your inspection of the room, and despite there being a heavy-metal safe, there was nothing truly of interest. No guns, no drugs, and no blood, as far as the naked eye could see. There was a ridiculous amount of suspicious activity in this hotel, and you were positive that Eisuke Ichinomiya was the cause of most of it. The ultimate target.

Your mouth nearly began to water as you imagined presenting him to the FBI, all wrapped and pretty. All ready for conviction in over twenty countries. The International Court could take him. It would wipe the handsome smirk off his face, for sure.

You began to make a mental checklist in order to make that a reality. First, you needed to do a thorough examination of Ichinomiya's penthouse suite, especially since he left you alone here. Second, you needed to report to Chisato, your partner, and your boss. It was possible that there were a multitude of moles within the local police department, and though there were guaranteed to be less in the FBI, there was no telling who was trustworthy. Third, you needed to know more about both Soryu Oh and the detective who was present in the penthouse. From there, you had a nice list of things to do.

You stood up, buttoning your blouse up, but stopping before it reached your neckline. There was no reason to completely undo what he had done to you, was there?

You wished you had some weapon of some sort, it often make you more confident. You knew that there was no need for one, however. None of the men believed that you posed a threat. You put your ear against the door, sensing no movement.

You slid the door open softly, extremely aware of your surroundings. There was no one. In fact, the only living being on this floor seemed to be you. The other bidders seemed to have left, even Eisuke. Perhaps he was in another room, or the bathroom?

You walked quietly down to the lounge where the five men had previously surrounded you, attempting to scare you into submission. You scoffed. You didn't scare easily. You had been part of many cases, ranging from white collar cases to small undercover work. Truthfully, it wasn't like you were used to infiltrating terrorist cells or disarming bombs, but the situations you had been part of weren't anything to scoff at.

You began to examine the room, top to bottom. Nothing interesting. There seemed to be a large television, couches, and typical things. You opened another drawer, and heart pounding, withdrew three small dime bags of cocaine. You didn't know whether you should take it or not, and decided to leave it there. Eisuke would surely be suspicious if his pick-me-ups went suspiciously missing right after you two had just met. You made a mental note to swipe them after you had procured some substitutes.

The room was surprisingly empty. Some drawers were locked, you noted, jiggling the handles. You were intrigued. What on earth could he be hiding? Or maybe the items were that of the bidders? Who knew? The roaring ball of fire in your chest was threatening to explode in excitement.

You began to trifle through his garbage, sinking down to the floor. It was empty, most likely because of the fact that the manager had recently taken it out. Disappointed, you began to examine his recyclables, noting an overabundance of vodka bottles and beers. A weird feeling began to wash over you. Were the bidders having a party, or did someone have a drinking problem?

You sighed in disappointment. How very drab. You fell back onto your butt as you stopped kneeling, closing your eyes. Boring or not, you had probable cause in your mind. The cocaine was enough to keep you on your toes, and the auctions themselves… you had to get yourself back in them. Somehow.

"What are you still doing here?" A cold voice instantly snapped you out of your reverie. Ichinomiya.

You froze before instantly warming up again. It wasn't abnormal for the owner of the house to be in the house, was it? You felt a strong hand on your shoulder, nearly lifting you back up off your feet.

"I ask you again, what are you still doing here?"

You looked down. "I don't know if you know this, sir. But I'm a maid for your hotel." Then, you look straight into his dark brown eyes, "I thought I was doing my job, seeing as you gave me no other instructions. I mean, you do have to find a use for me, do you not?" His attractive face inspected you, attempting to bypass your lies, but you gaze him no reason to doubt you. He had a strong jaw, a steely and strong glare. You would have found him handsome if you weren't on the job.

He smiled, but you felt no kindness from the notion. "Yes, pretty bird." He reached for your face, tracing his long fingers on your jawline. You couldn't help but shiver at the feeling. He had a habit of making people feel helpless.

"What would you like for me to do for you?" His hand was still on your face.

He smirked, finally putting his hand down from your cheek and grasping your neck. "Can you think of any way for you to pay me back?"

"I'm simply a maid, sir." You said, "I'm afraid I have no other skills." He finally let you go.

"I suppose that'll have to do until I find a better use for you," He said. "You are to stay here until I decide. Make me coffee, run my errands, go about your job, answer my pager when I so desire your company."

"Of course, sir." You didn't expect him to let you return to your apartment after he had bought you. You were still an outsider, and he had yet to trust you. You could run to the cops, you could be spooked. His next words surprised you, however.

"You are to recollect your things and reconvene here in the morning. I would like to keep an eye on my prize for the time being."

"Of course, sir." You realized that his confidence and arrogance convinced him that you were neither a threat nor a whistleblower.

Eisuke finally let go of you.

You walked over to the elevator, pressing the button to take you out of the apartment. A question formed in your mind, and you spoke, feeling rather bold. "If I may so ask, sir. Is there no other person here who stays with you?" In your mind's eye, you imagined all the women he usually had on his arms, beautiful, long, and lithe. The suits he would wear, the composure he usually held, the haughty grin. Though he was intimidating standing in front of you, without all the glitz, glamour and media, something about him was different.

It was as if Eisuke Ichinomiya were actually human.

His eyes flashed at your question. "You may not ask." His voice was dark and final. "I do not find it fit to answer a woman of no value. Keep your mouth shut from now on."

Your temper flared. You knew he was arrogant, but he always managed to get the best of you. You hated being addressed as if you were worthless. You stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to take you to the ground floor. You smirked at him. "I apologize. I was just surprised to find out that Eisuke Ichinomiya was such a sad and lonely person."

With that, the door closed, and the elevator took you down.

You breathed a sigh of relief, leaning your back against the elevator. Your stupid, snappy mouth. Though it wasn't as if you regretted what you said to him, there was a nagging sensation in the back of your mind. His reaction at your words. His face. The sensation in the pit of your stomach. You finally realized that you had stumbled into something far more dangerous than you could ever understand.

The cold look in his eyes scared you.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : _Double update! Things are changing! Eisuke is as rude as ever, and our MC forgot to shut her mouth. Please review, like, share, and follow! See you next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"I think there's someone watching me," You whisper breathily into your burn phone, as you hid in an alleyway between your apartment and a shopping complex. "I can't go to the police station right now."

"That's to be expected," your boss, Grace Goldberg murmured back, as you kept your eye of for any suspicious beings. "You've stumbled onto something quite massive. Congratulations."

You had told her everything that you had learned about the mysteries of the Ichinomiya hotel. The thieveries, the mafia, the auction, the paintings, and Eisuke Ichinomiya. She, like you, was isolated from the rest of the task force due to fear of interference and possible moles.

"I don't think Ichinomiya trusts me, but I don't think he's afraid of what I'll do." You said, certain of your evaluation of his mindset. "I need to get access to his board of directors, the documentation that he probably keeps hidden in that cave of his. You go after Soryu Oh and the Ice Dragons. I have no clue on what they're planning, and that freaks me out."

"It's not like I have a choice," She said, "It's all they got me working on."

"There's a detective you have to watch out for," You continue, "A man by the name of Kishi. I don't know his first name, I just heard the other men mentioning him. He made eye contact with me, and I don't think he'll forget about me. Make sure to watch out who he knows, who his enemies and friends are. Make sure to wipe off my existence off the servers."

"We never had any of your information on your servers, sweetie." Grace said impatiently, "You are undercover."

"As a maid. You know how the big boss is, he doesn't think about the little things, like you. Please double check for me?"

She sighed. "You so owe me a coffee."

"I'll buy you a donut too."

"That's if you have any money left." She said, a worried tinge in her usually calm voice. "He spent 20 million dollars on you? Is he insane?"

"Thanks," you answer sarcastically, and she lets out a slight chuckle.

"You owe him a lot, clearly."

"Human trafficking is illegal. I don't belong to anyone. I doubt even Eisuke Ichinomiya can catch me after the law comes down and impedes its power."

"What if we can't get him?" She voices my biggest worry. "Then what?"

"Then I dye my hair, get glasses, go under the knife a little, move to France and change my name." You say impatiently. "The full power of the FBI can handle Ichinomiya."

"I suppose so," She said, despite the fact that she still sounded completely worried. "But-"

"For the time being," you rush over her newfound concerns, "I'm going to be Ichinomiya's maid. My apartment is going to be empty, so don't rush over there. I'm sure he has someone monitoring it right now."

"That's all he's using you for?"

"He could have any woman he wants, what on earth does he need me for?"

"I suppose he wants someone to pick up after his messiness, maybe make him coffee?" She asks sarcastically, and you let out a bark of a laugh.

"I do make a mean cup of joe."

"In any case, send me a text every week. The moment you go AWOL, I'm going to march in there myself, guns blazing."

"Relax, Chisato's still there. She knows everything as well. If anything goes wrong, she'll be the first to know."

"Remind me to get into contact with that girl. She's been so pissed off about this whole case I wouldn't be surprised if she quits the force and joins Tres Spades full-time."

"Will do." You said, smiling. "Talk to you later."

"Stay safe, okay?"

"I'll try my best."

You hung up your phone and buried it deep in your pocket after wiping off all the information. You make your way into your apartment, pressing the button for the elevator. The FBI had graciously rented out a nice space for you in the middle of the city. It looked nothing like the hotel you worked at, but it did well enough for you.

The moment you walked out of the elevator, on floor 15, you saw someone suspicious standing at your door. Your heart jumped into your throat. Had you been made already? Had the party already ended before you could even start it?

Your panic receded a bit once you identified the man at the door. Soryu Oh.

"What are you doing here?" You asked, pulling out your keys from your pocket. "I don't remember inviting a mobster for dinner."

"Not many people do," He answered, his arms crossed. He looked as cool as ever, slicked back hair and scary eyes. You fidgeted with the door once, twice, before finally unlocking it and opening it wide open. He inspected the room before walking in, taking in the robin egg's blue walls, the messiness, the cigarettes on the table, the fake pictures displayed throughout the entire room.

You pull out a bag of luggage before carelessly throwing in your clothes and other essentials. "Did Eisuke send you? Are you to be my pack mule?"

"Far from it," He countered, clearly unimpressed with you. "I came of my own accord."

"I appreciate the concern, it's duly noted." You said, going to the bathroom to get your toothbrush. "But unneeded."

"Woman." He said, with a tone of finality. You still refused to face him, before he made his way in front of you luggage bag, blocking your access. "I don't trust you."

"You're the mobster. I don't need to earn your trust."

"Why were you sneaking around in the basement?" He asks abruptly. "I saw you there, sneaking around in that hallway. I told you to get lost, didn't it? And you end up in even more trouble."

You give him your widest doe-y eyed face. "Can you blame a girl for being a little curious?"

"I threatened your life, and you didn't take me seriously."

"Of course I didn't. I trust the Ichinomiya Group. I've been with them for-"

"Five years." He answers. "First, a hotel in London, then Dubai. You were the manager's pet, which is why you got to travel when other, more experienced workers got left behind."

He had clearly read up on your fake FBI file. You smiled angelically. "And I've been in Japan, working this branch, for months. Yes, I do trust the Ichinomiya Group. Not anymore, mind you, after the whole ordeal…"

"I'm torn up about you." He said, still refusing to sit down or do anything besides loom imposingly at your door. "Either you're as stupid as you seem, or you're…"

"Smarter than you?" You finally finish packing, zipping up your luggage and clapping your hands together. "Surely that's impossible."

"I'm warning you, woman." He said warningly, finally beginning to approach you. "I'm watching you. Eisuke will be too. Try to contact the police, and we'll know. Any attempts to hurt us, and your life will be over."

"Yes, sir. I'll take my leave, then." You grabbed your luggage, attempting your best to avoid his wandering eyes. You leave your apartment, shoving your key in the lock, expecting him to take care of it for you. By doing this, you showed that you had nothing to hide. He could examine all the pictures he wanted, or raid your panty drawer all he wanted. You left nothing in your apartment.

He might think that you were stupid to let a stranger in your apartment and simply leave him behind it. Good, you were banking on the fact that he thought you were stupid. You looked back, watching as he stood there, most likely dumbfounded, and remembering the look on his face.

Soryu Oh.

You knew exactly who he was, knew more about him than he could even fathom. The man's folder within the police distinct was almost legendary. He was known as heartless, surrounded by gangsters and henchmen. Drug dealers, attempted murder, all of the most heinous of crimes were always connected to the Ice Dragons.

But at that moment, when you truly looked in his eyes, truly, you could sense a softness behind the mask.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Are you fucking with me?"

It was a Saturday morning, and you were at Eisuke's penthouse suite. The day had barely yet to begun, and you were already fed up with him.

He was wearing a purple dress shirt, unbuttoned at the top. His hair was slightly messy. There were clothes all over the floor, and alcohol bottles as far as the eye could see. You could stop three different pairs of high heels, which you were positively sure did not belong to him.

You were fine with cleaning up his messes- you were used to the craziness of rich people, after all, but that he asked of you was almost unbearable in its obnoxiousness.

In fact, you were so shocked, you didn't even realize that you had sworn in front of your employer. You didn't see the harsh look on Eisuke's face at your un-lady-like words. Your mask had slipped, just for that one moment.

A few moments passed before you had realized what you said. You coughed, trying to regain the composure that you had previously lost. "With all due respect, sir, I cannot wear that." A pause. "Please." You added painfully, realizing that it was necessary.

He didn't answer you, but crossed his arms in indignation. You knew that the look on his face meant that he would not change his mind. You stole a glance at the outfit he had asked you to wear.

The outfit you were wearing right now was extremely reasonable and conservative. It was a rather dull blue dress, with a gray collar. Standard wear for a maid in the Tres Spade Hotel. But the garments you were looking at seemed to be almost insulting in its perverseness.

It was a black dress, embroidered with white lace. You wouldn't have had a probably with that, if the dress weren't so short and if it weren't accompanied with long black stockings and high heels. It very nearly resembled a French maid costume.

"All my personal maids are required to wear an outfit to distinguish themselves from the others," He said calmly, almost reasonably. The look in his eyes, however, informed you that he was having great pleasure in riling you up. "Please change as soon as possible."

You knew that you could argue with him for hours, and only risk angering him even more. Your job was to please him and to get close enough to him, so he would trust you as a maid and a worker. Then, you would have freer access to his penthouse and things. But, you thought, as you took the uniform that he had laid out for you, you almost wanted to just run back home at the thought of wearing this in Eisuke's presence.

You locked yourself in an empty bedroom and stripped down to your underwear. Somehow, he had estimated your size correctly, just by looking at you. The thought of him doing that made you have shivers run down your spine. You slid the black dress on, with no trouble. Though you knew Eisuke didn't like you, the dress was finely made, silky smooth to the touch. It barely covered your behind, however, and you knew that if you were to bend over in any fashion, it would completely expose your black panties.

You made a mental note never to bend over.

You noticed that there was a logo emblazed on your heart. It was the hotel's Tres Spade famous logo, stitched in bright gold. You sighed. At least it brought back some level of professionalism. You slid on the black stocking and tugged them as high as you possibly could, but they were too short, leaving the top of your thighs bare, and your flesh very visible. You slid your hair up in a nice updo. You tugged your skirt down in an attempt to hide the embarrassing image before standing up straight, puffing up your cheeks and slapping them down.

You could do this.

You once spent sixty days in a crack house, covered in filth and other's people excrement. You once ran drugs for one of the most notorious drug dealers in Mexico. You could risk being humiliated yet again. At least you were clean and safe… for the moment.

You had to prove yourself in order to make a name for yourself. Although you had done plenty of undercover work before, they were always headed by the biggest names and agents within the FBI. But this case? This one was yours to take.

You folded up your old maid's outfit and put it away almost soberly.

And then, you opened the door in order to face your new boss.

He was gone.

Sighing in relief, you decided to pick up after him. Sliding on gaudy yellow gloves, you got to work in a huff. The suite was an absolute pigsty, and you knew you were obligated to do your job. You folded the clothes which were draped over the sofa, you picked up the three different high heels, lining them against the exit door. You began to wipe down the bar, struggling to remove the stains off of the counters. You put back the bottles back where they belonged and dumped everything else in the garbage.

Throughout the entire time, you kept an eye out for keys, clues, passcodes, and other various things that Eisuke could have left behind in a clearly drunken stupor. Nothing.

With a start, you could hear the shower turn on, and a woman squeal loudly. Maybe he was showering with one of the women? Well, that would definitely be a better Saturday morning than bickering with your maid all day, you thought amusedly to yourself.

You grabbed the garbage, deciding to take it out of the penthouse and into the trash chute. You, however, thanks to the minimal training from your employer, had no idea where the nearest trash compartment was. Sighing, you decided to take the elevator and walk downstairs to the lounge, where the nearest chute was just down the hallway.

Exiting the lounge, you walked down the hallway and opened a gold-plated garbage chute. Sighing in annoyance, at the ridiculousness of Eisuke Ichinomiya and his affinity for gold, you began to slide the garbage out, slowly.

You couldn't believe that you were in a short black uniform, with yellow rubber gloves, sliding out Eisuke Ichinomiya's garbage in a chute. Not only that, but you were examining each piece. You grimaced as you pulled out a pair of red panties, before gasping in shock.

A playing card.

It didn't look like a typical playing card, however. It was an Ace of Spades, but had an Alice in Wonderland theme. On the back was a white rabbit. Was this a key to entering the auctions? Maybe it got wrapped in the girl's panties after they met a casino? Maybe it was for tomorrow? When were the auctions?

You dumped the rest of the garbage with one hand, trying to find more clues, but there was nothing. Heart pounding, you re-examined the playing card. You needed to take it a lab of some sort, maybe there were more fingerprints or clues. Maybe you needed a blacklight. You had to keep this.

If only you had a pocket or anything else of the sort. With a sigh, you stuffed the card into your bra, so you could examine it at a later date.

"Miss?" Someone called for you, and you turned around abruptly before relaxing.

"Hello, Mr. Kuroba."

"I hope you're not working too hard," He said, smiling. You fully face him at this point, and grin at the concierge who was wearing a blue tie and uniform. He was one of the nicer people at this hotel, showed you around. You met many different people in your line of work, and Takahiro Kuroba was one of the more considerate people you had ever met.

"You're not surprised to see me here?"

He brushed the caramel coloured hair out of his eyes. "Word of mouth. I think Erika, Rina and Kana were complaining about you being promoted this morning."

You scoffed. "I could hardly call it a promotion. I wanted a management position and somehow I ended up wrapped up in this mess."

He laughed. "Mr. Ichinomiya can be a handful."

"You're telling me." You motioned at your new uniform. "This is a little embarrassing."

"It looks nice on you," You could see his face go red at the mention of your uniform. "It is a definitely a flashier upgrade from your old look." You knew that he always had a soft spot for you, which was nice. In another time, maybe, if you weren't deceiving literally everyone you met, you could envision yourself going on a date with this man.

"Ichinomiya does what he wants, I suppose." You said. "Speaking of, did you come up here to fetch me? I didn't know you had access to this floor."

He nodded. "I have three different messages from three different people. First, Kenzaki asked for you," he mentioned the name of your manager. "I think he wants to speak with you."

"I'll go looking for him after Ichinomiya lets me on break." You said, making note of it. Hajime Kenzaki was the general manager of the hotel, and you knew that Eisuke trusted him quite a bit. It wouldn't hurt to look in his offices.

"Chisato Kurihara would also like me to tell you that she's going to be taking a vacation for two weeks, she seems rather stressed." You knew that meant Chisato was busy working with the feds for the next few weeks. You swore in your head. It was important that you speak with her.

"Yes, of course." You needed to hand off the card to her, get it examined at the laboratory. She was a little older than you, also contracted to work as undercover. If you were getting frazzled by the lack of action at the hotel, Chisato was ten times more restless than you. "If you see her, tell her, when she comes back, I'll try to meet her for lunch or dinner." You pause. He was still lingering awkwardly by your side. There was still another message. Smiling, you ask, "You're quite the messenger today, is there anything else?"

"I… uh." He murmured, shuffling his feet before looking up at you again. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. And…"

"And?" You press him.

"Sakiko met someone, and she told me that she wants to go on a double date with us." He was purely blushing at this point, "Of course, we can go just as friends, it was just that-"

You could use a nice dinner with good company. Though you held her from beyond arm's reach, you did like Sakiko. "Sure, when-"

"There you are." Both of you break your respective gazes towards each other. You felt the blood literally drain from your face as Eisuke Ichinomiya revealed himself, arms crossed, leaning against the corner. "I was looking for you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Sir," you murmur, as you and Takahiro bow towards the arrogant millionaire.

"What are you doing out of the suite?" He asks you icily, and you straighten up to look at him, expecting to see a hard glare in his eyes. You were taken aback when the look turned fiery.

"I was just… taking out the garbage." You motion towards the garbage chute and the rubber gloves.

"I see." His eyes moved from you to Takahiro. All three of you could feel the awkward tension in the air before Eisuke walked up, and slid his hand over the back of your neck. You let a surprised gasp as his thumb pressed deeply on your pulse.

"And you… what are you doing talking to my maid?"

"I had to relay her a few messages, sir. She has no cell phone or pager, and it's hard to get in contact with her-"

"If you want to get into contact with her, you have to ask my permission." You looked at him in surprise at the backwardness of the situation.

"I-"

"I do not appreciate my two employees wasting their time fraternizing on my dime." Eisuke said sharply.

You snap. "We were not-"

"If you value your job, Mr. Concierge, remove yourself from my sight at once." You felt trapped at the moment, your eyes facing Takahiro as Eisuke held his hand on your neck. You felt as if he could completely shatter you.

Takahiro bowed, and with an apologetic look at you, made his way back down to the elevator. You both watched as he vanished from both your sights.

You gasp as Eisuke pushed you back into the apartment, closing the door violently. He pins you against the wall, your face inches apart. "Did you forget something?"

You attempt to calm your pounding heart. "I was just doing my job, sir."

"You forget you belong to me. I find it rather inappropriate that you are making date plans in my hotel." His eyes examine you, and though he was still angry, the blazing fire in his eyes returned to a cool ember.

"I don't," You choke out in an attempt to defend yourself. "I don't belong to you."

"I paid for you."

"I don't care." You snap back, and you both continue your stalemate against the wall, refusing to back down. "I will wear the uniforms you ask for, I will live in the apartment you wish for, because I promised to be your maid. I will run your errands, make your coffee, file your forms, and clean up after you. But Mr. Ichinomiya, I do not belong to you."

His handsome face flashed at your words. His jaw clenched, his brown eyes narrowed and you wish you could break eye contact with him.

"You're telling me, that this doesn't belong to me?" He pulled at your uniform, running his hand from the tops of your shoulders to the bottom of your skirt. He made his way lower, and you closed your eyes as you felt his fingers brush alongside your inner thighs, fingering the top of your stockings. You shivered at the feeling, mixed between an emotion of being turned on and scared. He slid his hand to run along the inside of your thigh, finally stopping before your panties. He looks at you with a smirk before rubbing you lightly, slowly, on the outside of your panties. You shuddered at the feeling.

He smiles at your reaction, and you finally grab a hold of your senses, using your hands to push him back. He is moved, surprised look on his face. You face him with a steely glare. "Those belong to me."

Both of you are caught in the moment, refusing to back down or break eye contact. Your heart had finally resumed its normal function, though, and you would never admit it, your throat went extremely dry.

A woman's voice breaks the moment, and you sigh as she distracts him. "Eisuke!" She yelled from the top of stairs. "Where did you go?"

He doesn't answer, but he does notice the bemused smirk on your face as you turn your back away from him. You begin to clean up the lounge, which was just as messy as his room upstairs. You lift upturned chairs, wiping the counters, folding up the clothes of which you are sure belonged to the girls. You pick up another pair of pink panties, before turning to Eisuke, twirling them around your finger.

"Is she looking for this?" You teased, but his face remained unamused. "You should give them back to her." Disappointed at his lack of a reaction, you stack all of the girls' clothes on top of the sofa.

"Eisuke!" She yelled again.

You pay the noise no mind as you continue to clean up the room. You could feel his eyes on you, and it made you self-conscious and extremely uncomfortable. The way he looked at you changed a little bit, you could tell. The moment that you had rejected him, you knew that it made you a target of his affections.

"Eisuke!"

Finally, the woman descended from the top of the stairs, clad in a towel, dripping water everywhere. Ah, so she was the woman that he was showering with? She was tall, skinny, with long dyed red hair and visible collarbones. Looking at her, she could have been a model, hell, she probably was. She ran down to the lounge, continuously splashing soapy water all over the floor. You sighed in annoyance as you realized that you would have to mop it up.

"There you are-" She turns to look at you both, eying you in suspicion at your outfit.

You bow respectfully. "Miss."

"Who are you?" She asked somewhat rudely, "I didn't see you last night."

"I'm Mr. Ichinomiya's new maid. Is there anything I can do for you?" At the corner of your eye, you could see Eisuke smirk bemusedly at your polite toned, his arms crossed against his strong chest.

"What?" She looked at you again. "Eisuke?" She must had been confused because your outfit didn't match the rest of the maids in the hotel.

"She belongs to me."

Both you and the girl look at him in surprise. You privately roll your eyes before speaking up, "Yes, I belong to the Ichinomiya Group. Mr. Ichinomiya has a rather dark sense of humour." You watched as he inconspicuously pressed a button on his cell phone. What on earth is he doing?

She laughed at your remark. "You're right about that." She turns her back on you, clearly uninterested, as you continue your job, eavesdropping on their conversation. "Are you feeling better, Eisuke? You seemed so sad last night…" She wrapped his arms around his neck.

To you, Eisuke Ichinomiya always seemed somewhat sad. He put on a brave face towards all the men and women that he had to use. He often faked being kind to them, you knew. You had watched many videos of his interviews, and that fake smile had become synonymous with the Ichinomiya name.

"You seemed so lonely last night, that's what Baba said." She cooed, "So, let's get breakfast." The word "lonely" echoed into your mind. Did he go on an alcohol-and-sex binge because you had called him sad and lonely last night? He was showing off to you, the women, the alcohol and the purposelessly messy staterooms.

No, you thought, shaking your head. A millionaire having a party on a Friday night was nothing out of the norm. It had nothing to do with you.

You walked over to the counter, deciding to make coffee to get rid of your ridiculous headache. Of course, you were making it under the guise of offering some to Eisuke. They continued their dull conversation, and you kept an ear out for new of the secret auctions.

"Eisuke, do you know where the card Baba gave me last night?" She asked, still clad in the towel.

"I seem to recall that you had thrown it away because you didn't care about the auctions." Thank god for this woman, you thought. She was asking Eisuke all the questions that you didn't know the answers to, and wanted to know.

"I'm not digging through the trash can," she said, her nose wrinkling. "Eisuke, you'll just give me another one, won't you?"

Her words were greeted with an awkward silence.

"Eisuke? I've never seen them before! Baba promised to -"

"You're getting annoying." Eisuke said, finally standing up straight.

"Eisuke?"

"I've notified security, Miss Model." He said, with a finality. "Your clothes are here," He pointed to the sofa where you've left them, "and you have overstayed your welcome. You do know what we discussed this morning."

Her face flushed. "Of course I do, Eisuke. I just thought-"

There was a knock on the door. "That'll be them. Please collect your belongings and leave. You are making a mess." You watched as Eisuke escorted the poor toweled girl outside the room. You weren't surprised that that was the way how he treated women.

Either way, the girl had given you a hint though she didn't know it. The auction was tomorrow, and that card was the key somehow. Your mind was racing. You could quickly set up a small sting, including you and Chisato. You weren't confident enough yet to lead a bust, but this was the beginning of something very new and exciting.

You poured the coffee out into a cup, feeling the warmth against your fingertips. You drank it black, though you did enjoy milk and sugar, but you were in no mood for that, today.

Eisuke re-entered the room alone, his cheek awfully red. You presumed that the girl gave him a much needed slap. "Welcome back, sir." You offered, fighting a grin. "Coffee?" You reached over to the counter to take another cup.

He grabbed the cup you drank from without a word and took a giant gulp. You watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. You couldn't help but let out a snarky comment. "I suppose that's why you have no girlfriend."

He didn't get annoyed at the jab. "All women drive me crazy."

"You know," You offered, pouring out another cup of coffee for yourself. "If you went after women in your own league, like the accountants, the CFOs, the CEOs, you might find that you have more things to talk about, an emotional connection-"

"Like you and Takahiro, perhaps?" He offered dryly.

You were taken aback by his example. "Yes, I mean, if you want to put it that way."

"And what do you think about him, as a woman?"

You didn't know what to say. "Uh… he's a kind man? A good man, he works hard, he's handsome."

You felt him approach you from behind, his chest pushing against your back. He slid the coffee pot out of your hands. You attempt to keep answering the question, your mind going blank, "He's considerate, looks out for me, and has a steady job."

He poured the pot of coffee into his cup. "Am I not all of those things?"

With much effort, you turned so you could look at him face to face. It wasn't easy. Both his hands were trapping you and his crotch had pinned your hips down. You poked him in the chest as hard as you could. "I wouldn't call you a good man, first and foremost."

"Good men are boring." He responded, the smirk never leaving his handsome face. Your eyes glazed over him, his strong jaw, his neck, and his strong muscles. You fought back the urge to run your fingers across his arms.

"Good men are safe," You counter. He smelt like coffee and cologne. You realized that you liked it, the combination of the two things. It was very Eisuke.

"No woman wants safe, does she?"

"You're clearly speaking to the wrong people." You murmur, and you notice that his eyes were fixated upon your lips, almost as if he couldn't hear a word you say. "I mean, just look at your taste in women."

His gaze moved from your lips to your eyes. He smiled.

"I am." With that, he walked away and left you there, embarrassed and speechless.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"You are a cop," You stare into the mirror, pep-talking yourself as much as you could before you could walk into face Eisuke again. "You have infiltrated a drug cartel. You looked pimps in the eye and managed to come out alive. You are a strong woman. Eisuke Ichinomiya cannot intimidate the likes of you." You constantly repeated, as if it were a mantra.

"You-"

The door to your bedroom flew open, Eisuke looked extremely annoyed. "You're late."

"I-" You looked at him, wide-eyed, previous thoughts out of the window. You were already dressed, uniform and stockings on. You checked your watch, "Mr. Ichinomiya, it's 7 o'clock in the morning."

"You are to be awake when I'm awake," He said, pointing carelessly at your hair. "Tie that up."

"I-" Before you could even answer, he walked away.

"Damn," You said, quickly tying up your hair and storming out after him. Somehow, he wasn't even visible in the hall. You literally ran after him, silently making your way into his penthouse. How did he even get access into your bedroom?

He was sitting at the table, taking a bite out of a piece of dried toast. You began making him his daily coffee, just as he liked it, pouring it into an empty cup before handing it to him. You began to adjust everything else, attempting to listen to his conversation. Was he on a Bluetooth? Who was he talking to?

You cleaned up the table after him, watching him with intense eyes.

"I don't care what he thinks, we've already talked about it with the shareholders." Eisuke snapped, and you realized that he was indeed on a Bluetooth. "I don't think he has a choice. Send him off with a nice severance package and call it a day."

 _Can you send me off with a nice severance package?_ You murmured to yourself, stepping away from the kitchen so you could clean the offices. You began rummaging through his things, attempting to have some organization in this pigsty. You knew that Eisuke often had maids to deal with his mess, which is probably why he left all of his things in disarray. Honestly. There was no point into looking into it further, you were positive that Eisuke was smart enough not to leave his shady auction stuff lying around. However, Soryu Oh intrigued you, especially with his dealings with the mafia.

"You!" Eisuke said, and you felt your heart jump out of your chest as you saw him standing on the threshold. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Cleaning your office, sir."

"Did I ask you to do so?"

You were taken aback by his question. "I'm your maid, of course. I thought…"

"These are confidential files." Eisuke said, walking towards you and pinning you against the table. However, you knew that he wasn't doing it to intimidate you on purpose, he was legitimately worried.

"Sorry, sir." You said, and his eyes evaluated you, to see if you were telling the truth. You were a good liar- it was legitimately your profession. That seemed to be a sufficient explanation for him.

"That's fine. I'm just on edge," he said, moving away from you and you let out a huff of relief. "The merger of Clifford Hotel is not going as smoothly as I thought it would be." You had no idea why he decided to vent to you, but you could tell he was getting increasingly frustrated.

"I don't know why you even bother to acquire them, anyways."

Eisuke snorted, as if he expected that answer. "Financial advisors for the Ichinomiya group. It's better to take out your competition in order to monopolize the industry."

You rolled your eyes at his reasoning. You weren't a CEO of a hotshot company, and maybe you were just a mere commoner, but you were interested in business as well, and you very well knew why he was trying to acquire Clifford Hotel. "I know that, sir. I'm just surprised that your _financial advisors_ told you to acquire a business which is known to cook their books."

You wished that you could shut your mouth in that instant- the FBI had been investigating Clifford Hotel for faking their accounts and revenue, but it was a building case. There was no way that any of Eisuke's advisors could possibly know that.

His eyes widened. "Where on earth did you learn that?"

You coughed, before looking up at him defiantly. "Ever read the news or look at their numbers online?" You knew that that wasn't his job-it was usually the accountants, but you liked being patronizing towards him. "Their numbers in terms of growth... their operations in China... It seems a bit suspicious, no?"

He looked at you before turning around and walking away. You childishly stuck your tongue out at his receding back before continuing on to look at his files.

You spent the rest of the morning silently cleaning the penthouse in your utter boredom. Despite the fact that you were taking care of, perhaps, the most intimidating member of the Ichinomiya Group, it was rather boring.

At lunchtime, you were helping the chef pick out Eisuke's lunch. You had immediately become well acquainted with him, a Japanese man who learned how to cook in Paris. His English was near perfect, and probably one of the reasons why he had such a coverted job.

You picked out a nice salmon dish, hoping that you wouldn't have to talk to Eisuke at all in the evening. Your hopes were vanquished when, at noon exactly, he walked up to the dining table and plopped himself in the chair. He looked completely exhausted.

You served him his lunch quietly, placing it in front of him. You hadn't eaten since last night, and since the chef had taken a liking to you, he had promise to save you a sandwich for lunch. You were pumped to eat it.

"Sit," Eisuke said, his arms crossed and his eyes fixated on you.

"Sir?" You asked in confusion, yet terribly annoyed.

"You were right about the merger." He said, spearing his food with his chopsticks angrily. "I took a closer look at the numbers, along with their executive team. I cannot believe that my own accountants thought this was a good business decision. It is the very last time I leave my business in the prying hands of the shareholders."

You laughed awkwardly, still standing. "Well, I guess it's better than making a mistake."

"From the looks of it, the property is most likely to be seized by the government," He said, eating his food casually, as if you were a co worker rather than his maid. "It will be sold to the highest bidder. It was the right choice to drop the merger for now. I also need to sell out of the company..." He began murmuring to himself before realizing that you were standing. "I said, sit."

You resigned to sit despite the fact that you felt increasingly snippy towards him.

"I am rather impressed with your knowledge." He said, taking a sip of water. "I did not expect to be saved by a common looking maid like yourself." You resigned yourself to hold your tongue.

"I didn't expect someone as powerful and smart as you to be so lax in his duties," You snapped back, even though you should have really held your tongue.

He didn't seem to be pissed at you, however, no matter how many times you violated his rules. He most likely did not expect for you to be as snarky as you were, but you didn't care. Let him fire you, it would be a waste for him seeing that you knew what you knew.

"I have to admit that I have made an error in my reasoning. I will most likely have to push back my plans for a few weeks, if not months in order to deal with the aftermath of this mess."

"It's a lesson well learned." You murmured.

He looked at you. "I suppose that means you are getting the hang of your job."

"Yes, it does."

"Does that mean you are ready to take on more responsibility?" He asked, a glint of something in his dark brown eyes. "I hope the money I paid for you was worth it."

"You can buy someone at the next auction, then." You said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of your voice.

He snorted. "I doubt it. I am most likely forced to push back the auction for a few weeks because of this administrative mess-" _fuck, fuck, fuck_ , you thought to yourself, "And you and I will be accosted with meeting for the other merger coming up soon."

You wanted to punch yourself in the face. Never have you ever managed to self-sabotage yourself this badly. You just had to open your stupid mouth and let Eisuke know that the company that he was acquiring was already tainted with criminal investigations. Not only did you save him from an embarrassment, but as a result of that, he was going to push the auction back to two Sundays from now.

"I trust that Kenzaki has trained you when you had first arrived. He had nothing but good things to say about you, and I am planning to find out whether he is truthful or not."

You snapped back to reality, ignoring the urge to shoot yourself in the face. "Of course, Mr. Ichinomiya." You stood up and bowed your head to him. "I will be the perfect little worker." Heat seeped towards your fingertips as you realized that you would most likely be forced to work to the bone without any significant rewards or information from Ichinomiya.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

* * *

 _Author's Note: Hey guys, I want to thank you for reviewing and reading. I had been writing this story for fun, and published it for fun. To be honest, I had a lot more written, but completely forgot about updating. This story is was originally just a passion project- a way for me to dump my thoughts after playing the game. However, because of your encouraging reviews, it has fueled me to keep on going. In fact, there will be more adult themes (I don't know if I should change the rating later), but I wanted to keep a tone consistent of the premise of the actual game._ _In the game- you are sold at a black market auction- it is pretty dark and interesting premise. That isn't to say that it will be all doom and gloom-_ _there will be heartbreak and death, but there will be happiness as well. Additionally,_ _I am in University at the moment- I hope I will be able to write as much as possible for you, but I am extremely busy._ _I hope you continue to read, follow, favourite and review, especially. It's the one thing that keeps me hammering at the keyboard._

 _Anyways, about this chapter- a little bit filler-ish, I suppose. It's to establish the relationship between Eisuke and the Reader a bit more. Their relationship is quite a slow burn. The next chapter I have written has a bit of a time skip, but the conversations within it is one of my favourites. I think you guys will be very happy with it, which is why I'm currently editing Chapter 8 to death. I cannot wait for you to read it and tell me what you think. Cheers!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

It had been two weeks since your professed self-sabotage, and you had barely any time to breathe.

It was probably because you hadn't been eating properly and working too hard. You often woke up at 6 in the morning, made Eisuke his coffee by 7, left the penthouse with him to a meeting where you handed him the files he wanted from his secretaries, forced to mingle with the workers and staff until 12. By 12, Eisuke usually ditched you to go on a date, and you had given Grace daily updates about your unimportant life. You usually returned to him by 12:30, and you often had nothing to eat, before travelling back to prepare for a party and event at Hotel Tres Spades until 3, then cleaning Eisuke's penthouse as well as dealing with his errands including his laundry, food, and girlfriends until 6, before preparing dinner with his chef and maids, serving his friends until 8, then finally retiring at 9. You were often wiped out, and had no time to do anything that you wanted- you knew that he was only overworking you because you had challenged him, but you were beginning to get burnt out.

It was Friday Night.

Eisuke had promised you at the beginning of the week that you had it off, and to your excitement, you had planned a movie out for yourself and maybe a little bit of drinking with Chisato, who had returned by now. You were loading the dishwasher after Eisuke had yet another meeting with Soryu, this one about a mobster's daughter, Mei Lee. It was actually an interesting meeting, and you made a mental note to mention about the strong Hong Kong ties between the Dragons and the Hong Kong mafia.

"Whew," You wiped your brow and stretched out as you took off your yellow gloves. You were tired as hell. The last few weeks were hell, especially when you showed Eisuke your potential.

For one, he had ordered you around… a lot.

"Get me the second document about the merger." He had once bitched at you for hours and hours because you had forgotten to photocopy a paper that he had deemed unimportant. He was also hopelessly unspecific, so nothing that he said really helped you out.

"Call the model of that cell phone company. Tell her I want to take her to dinner." You had happily obliged, thinking that maybe you would have the evening off. Instead, Ichinomiya had decided to cancel the meeting last minute because the cell phone company's CEO had changed, and thus, he no longer wanted to do business with them. Your evening off had completely changed and instead, you worked late into the night, bringing Eisuke coffee in the dead of night and trying not to fire off your gun in his face.

"Tell Soryu that he needs to make that meeting with Mamoru." He had once asked, and they had held the meeting right inside the penthouse. It was nothing interesting. They spoke of Oh's business, Kishi's work and nothing about the secret auctions. Oh had glared at you the whole time you served them and Kishi winked at you knowingly.

"Accompany me to my meetings." He had said, and that was where you had finally your foot down. He wanted you to be there because he was most likely annoyed and lonely. He was constantly surrounded by vultures who wanted everything from him. He was even surrounded by pretty secretaries and smart women. He still wasn't interested in any of them, of course, and found much more pleasure telling you to run his errands from getting more coffee and photocopying papers. He didn't even need the papers, you knew it, he just liked ordering you around and conversing with you.

"Do you want to join?" You had once caught him in bed with a blonde model, certain that you had seen her in some kind of television ad before. He had asked you the question teasingly, and the woman had turned her body around, completely in the nude as her chest became completely exposed. You had directed your answer to her chest, getting extremely annoyed before you closed the door. You had tried to calm your pounding heart, as you couldn't believe that he was so unashamed at the question and the situation. You knew he wasn't serious about it- you could tell by the teasing grin on his face- but it still pissed you off.

And your life as Eisuke Ichinomiya's maid went on.

You hadn't even had time to report to your superiors. You knew that even know Eisuke was watching you- as he very well should be- he wasn't keeping a ridiculously close eye on you. He was very trusting of your actions as time went on, softening the look in his eyes when he addressed you. Eisuke Ichinomiya had taken a slight liking to you- you worked hard, and although you bitched about it, you often got the job done. It was Soryu Oh you were worried about- the moments when Baba or Ota, the other two men of the auctions, brought them up in your presence, he was sure to glare at them so they would shut up. You couldn't get information about them if you tried.

Sometimes, you could hear about Soryu Oh's dealings over the phone with Eisuke as he went about his day. He didn't conceal the fact that Oh was a gangster- nor did he seem to care. But you had managed to tip off Grace, telling her about a small drug den in Ice Dragon territory. They had managed to get their first relatively "big" bust in months, though you couldn't even be there to see the whole thing through.

You had gotten more annoyed at the lack of action over the ages as time went on. Although you kept a smiling face in front of Eisuke's presence, at night, you would often walk around the hotel to keep a faint idea about what the guests were doing. The people around you hadn't changed much. By using Takahiro, you could help figure out Kenzaki's schedule, which was immensely helpful. Sakiko was also a pleasure to speak with when you had some time off, but she was rather busy with her new boyfriend. Chisato was still out, doing a sting. And your father… you haven't spoke to your father since you had taken this job.

Pressure and anger had begun to weigh on you as the time went on.

It had only been a few weeks, but sleeping in Eisuke Ichinomiya's hotel was not nearly as glamourous as they made it out to be. You missed the smell of gunpowder, ironically, and you missed going to the precinct to get coffee. It was rather ridiculous, seeing as you had coffee every morning with Eisuke. But you missed the chase. You missed your coworkers. You missed interviewing people. You just missed… not being undercover. You were getting tired in your 6 to 9 job, and both of you knew it.

You began to suspect that even Eisuke began to clue in on your foul mood.

You had woken up late to work one day, running in five minutes' past the regularly scheduled time. He hadn't bitched you out, which was an unbelievably welcome surprise. You had smashed a coffee pot in his presence because you were so distracted thinking about the Ice Dragons, and he hadn't sworn at you, much to your surprise. You didn't know what was going on with him either.

You sighed, finishing loading the dishwasher. Your fingers were shaking a little, and you could feel your anger towards Eisuke Ichinomiya grow. Not only was he completely useless in giving you information, but he was literally sapping your soul from your body.

Forget your plans, the first thing you had to do when you got off was to eat something. Maybe that American styled hamburger for lunch, or maybe just some ramen to keep yourself warm. Either way, not seeing Eisuke Ichinomiya's face for an entire evening was a good enough way to raise your spirits.

You took off your apron and began to make your way towards your room, sighing as you left the penthouse and made your way down the hall. You entered your bedroom, entering your bathroom. You decided to take a shower, scrubbing roughly with extremely hot water. You dried yourself off, wrapping yourself up in a towel. You also applied light make-up on your face, stretching your limbs. You dressed yourself in a muted yellow sundress, exposing your collarbones and shoulders. You opted to go braless as well, realizing that you had none left, making a mental note to do laundry. You only brought a small purse with you.

You smiled as you slid silver sandals on, stomach growling. At the end, you decided to forgo all plans with other people and have a movie and dinner date alone, and maybe you would go to the bar and have a drink. Maybe you could even check out the station later on. You opened the door, humming to yourself, before realizing that you were face to face with Eisuke. Your stomach dropped almost immediately.

"Eisuke?" You said incredulously, realizing that you were staring at your boss. You were so surprised that you forgot to address him properly. "What are you doing here?"

He looked at you, up and down, extremely surprised. You didn't know what was going on his mind but something about the look in his eyes changed when he looked at you today. "I need your time right now."

"Is it an emergency?"

"No-"

You couldn't help it, but you interrupted him. "You promised me Friday night off- I don't understand-"

"Are you meeting with someone?" He asked.

"I-"

"Come with me." He urged, grabbing your bicep and pulling you lightly towards the elevator. You hadn't even had a chance to react as he dragged you in, pressing a button. You yanked your arm roughly away.

"Eisuke, this is ridiculous. You need to give me a heads up if you want me to work," You snapped at him, and you couldn't even believe that you were giving such lip to Eisuke Ichinomiya. At this point, you were too starved to even care. "I had plans. I was going to have dinner-"

"Have dinner with me," Eisuke interrupted, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Pardon me?" You asked incredulously. "You can't possibly be serious."

"I rarely joke." Eisuke said.

"I realize that. I also thought that we were both getting a little bit sick of each other," You said, "Which is why you gave me the night off."

"I had something else in mind."

You tried again to change his mind. "You can't possibly be seen with me in public. The media will-"

"I got us a table in the VIP room in the hotel's restaurant. The media will not be able to get any information."

Your foot began to tap in annoyance before you realized that there was no possible way out. You sighed, your annoyance and snarky tone forgotten as you let out a slight voice of defeat. "Eisuke, why?"

He sighed. "I find it that I should treat my new employees to dinner at least once. Additionally, I realize that I have been working you… extremely hard."

You resisted the urge to pout as the elevator signalled the floor of the restaurant. He led you to a private VIP room, taking a seat at an obviously reserved table without saying a word to anyone. The restaurant was trimmed in cream and gold. The table was simple, though somehow still expensive looking. It was lit with a candle, the flames flickering alluringly.

You hesitated before you decided to take the seat opposite him, feeling somewhat underdressed. Eisuke was dressed in a smart grey suit, paired with his usual Italian loafers. The waiters and waitresses were dressed in plain white dress shirts and black pants. There were important VIPs surrounding you, dressed from tuxedoes and cocktail dresses. Your sundress was an incredible contrast to this mess of an evening.

The first appetizer was placed in front of you, even before you had a chance to look at the menu. Eisuke had clearly already planned the wine, the appetizers, entrees and desserts before you even realized that you had to have dinner with him tonight. You felt somewhat touched, yet still annoyed, as you eyed your tiny appetizer- seared foie gras with plum puree and with caviar- and ate some, trying not to appear as hungry as you really were.

You really wished you could have street ramen right now.

"Is it acceptable for your tastes?" Eisuke asked, and you looked up at him in surprise, realizing that you haven't spoken in a good while. He looked nearly concerned, and you realized with a start that he looked somewhat tense. "If you don't like it, I can send for another one."

"It's fine, Eisuke." And you watched as his shoulders visibly relaxed. You felt somewhat bad all of a sudden, as if you shouldn't be thinking about ramen. It became obvious to you that Eisuke had wanted to make this meal pleasant for you, which you found very nice. You smiled tiredly. "Thanks for the meal."

He smiled in a self-assured manner, as if he needed to hear that.

You took a sip of the wine as you marvelled at the rich flavour. Eisuke did not go cheap on his wines, that was for sure. You realized that your head was beginning to be a little bit light, and you realized that you were getting a bit tipsy. You immediately stopped drinking before you finished your appetizer, and watched as Eisuke just looked at you.

You had interviewed countless of people before. They ranged from rich to poor, and young to old. You could usually tell what people were thinking when they looked at you, and it was usually _bitch_ , especially when you were in Agent mode. However, you realized that you could never put your finger on Eisuke Ichinomiya. His eyes were appraising you, from the colour of your cheeks to your exposed collarbones. What was he thinking about?

"How's the merger going?" You asked him, breaking the silence. He snapped out of his reverie, wiping his mouth and putting his hands back on the table.

"Wonderfully." He said honestly, "But I am having a little trouble."

"Why?"

"The CEO dislikes me." Eisuke said honestly, and you watched as his jaw clenched in frustration. "He says that I have no sense of humour, and the only thing I speak about is work- during a meeting for work."

You laughed. "He's not wrong, Mr. Ichinomiya. You are married to your work."

"I am most certainly not."

"You're out on a work dinner with me, right now." You pointed out, "And the only thing that we've talked about is the merger." The waiter walked up to you and took your appetizer plates away. You tried to ignore your pulsating stomach.

He sighed. "I suppose I do need some practice on personal mingling."

"Exactly. So, Eisuke Ichinomiya, tell me about yourself," You teased. "What's your story?"

He shook his head. "Not interested."

You smiled. "I'll take a guess." The waiter put down the entrees, a tiny piece of seared tuna with wasabi mustard with a small side of salad. You tried to ignore your indignation and screaming stomach. "You know, I'm very good at reading people."

He cut into his fish. "I suppose I cannot stop you."

"Eisuke Ichinomiya." You had known all about him thanks to the media and the news. "You were born to a prestigious family, but your mother passed and your father left. Then you were adopted by the Ichinomiya family in England. So, naturally, you were lonely. Hungry. Desperate to prove yourself. A perfectionist through and through."

"You're not wrong."

"But-" You raise your index finger, "being alone often comes at a price. Your profile screams abandoned child, you know. I bet you were unable to connect with others, and found disdain in normal social interactions. You make very little friends or long-lasting acquaintances. Don't get me started on your trouble with women. You care so little about women and barely see them as anything else but business decisions that you can no longer separate the gender from work. You keep everyone at arm's reach, and you share your secrets with no one. You have all the power in the world, the fame in the world, the money in the world. All you can do is keep on preserving it. Am I right?"

He had been watching you with a suspicious glance during your entire speech. "You are positively wrong."

"That just confirms it," You clap your hands in delight, especially in response to his wretched face. "Oh, I am right. How wonderful."

His jaw clenched again before relaxing. "You like to provoke me, don't you?"

You just smiled.

He continued, "I can say the same thing about you that you've said about me. I've had you working ninety-hour work weeks and you have never complained. You never speak to your friends or family either. We are more similar than you think. Little bird, do you have anyone in this world?" To be honest, the way you described Eisuke made you think of yourself, honestly. You were both married to your job, but at least you weren't in denial about it.

"Mr. Ichinomiya, I thought we were talking about you." You munched on your fish casually.

"I changed my mind."

"How boring."

"With you, it rarely is." He swallowed the last of his meal, picking up his wineglass.

"Mr. Ichinomiya, I do have to ask you a serious question." You said, leaning forward to get closer to him, trying to examine his eyes. It still gave nothing away.

"I suppose it's too late to stop you."

"Just one." You said, tilting your head to the side. "I wonder, after all this time… Were you ever able to live inside someone's heart?"

You watched as his hand tightened visibly on his glass before relaxing. That gave you an answer. There was someone out there- mother, father, sister, brother- someone that Eisuke Ichinomiya cared about. That came as a pleasant surprise to you, and you finished the rest of your food.

"No." He answered, but his body language had already given it away.

"That's what I thought." You smirked. "I thought you were a good liar, Mr. Ichinomiya."

"I am."

"You can say it all you want," you continued, although, at this point, you should have probably shut up. "You say you care about nothing, but there are many things, a thousand little things that you care about. You like your coffee with sugar, the colours of the sunset on the horizon, cute little animals, the auctions and the men who are your friends. You're encouraging to your workers, even though you're cold. You care about your business, even if you complain about it sometimes. And you're desperate for something more, but you just can't grasp it yet. You've tried to hide everything from me, and you think that I just can't put my finger on you, Mr. Ichinomiya. But I've been at your side for only weeks, and I have to say, I do know quite a bit. Even if you say that no one can tell… I am sure of one thing."

He didn't answer. You finally had the confidence to meet his eyes. They looked the same, along with his steely glare. But that didn't faze you.

"I can see you, Eisuke Ichinomiya. I see you."

You couldn't seem to catch the look now- the ice that had been hardened from the moment you met him. The handsome face, with the pleasant smile, and inside was a man who was severely broken. You wondered how many broken pieces were hidden behind the mask. You doubted whether even Eisuke knew about his mask or his shattered mind, because sooner or later, the mask would melt into the man. He would lose himself, eventually.

A strained silence passed. You had both finished your meal at this point, the mood dourer than you have thought it would be. After a few minutes, he stood up with a start, waiting for you to copy him, before he made his way out to his private elevator. It was evident that there would be no time for dessert. There was nothing but silence between the two of you. The meal, although delicious, had done little to quell your hunger. You wondered when this little date with Ichinomiya would end.

"You have been looking quite sick lately." Eisuke said out of nowhere, as you stood next to each other in the elevator. For some reason, you felt quite warm, though uncomfortably close to him.

"My boss has been working me like a mule," You answered him. You weren't surprised that he didn't try to continue your conversation from only moments before.

"That's why I took you out to dinner tonight."

You looked at him. "It's a break from you that I need, not food."

He almost laughed at that one. "You had brought this one on by yourself, you do realize?"

"Of course I do. Doesn't keep me from being bitter about it. I had all these plans for tonight, and you just came in and ruined everything, as you so often do." You turned to face him, examining his handsome face, his strong jaw, his cold gaze. "What are you going to do to make it up to me?"

"I'm the one who was subjected to your psychoanalyzing, and I have to make it up to you?" He asked softly. It was at that moment that you realized that he was somewhat touchy about his personal feelings.

"Don't be so sensitive." You murmured, tearing your gaze from his eyes before turning away. Maybe you had gone too far with the teasing this time. You shrugged awkwardly, realizing that the yellow strap on your dress had fallen off your shoulder. Before you could move to put it back in place, you could feel Eisuke's fingers slide onto your bare shoulder. He slid the strap back in place slowly, his hand making his way up to your neck, where he forced his gaze on yours. His thumb slid your chin up so you couldn't avoid him.

"Who's the sensitive one now?" Your heart was pumping so fast that you were certain that he was giving you a heart attack. Eisuke Ichinomiya tended to have that effect on people.

"What-" His thumb made his way and caressed your cheek softly.

"You've been looking quite pale, you know."

"Of course I know!" You said, embarrassed. His thumb brushed by your lips. You shuddered. His touch was electric. "It's all your-"

"You need to take better care of your body," He said, tilting your head up, forcing you in place. "I do not approve of my things getting weak and useless." He was so close… too close. You were too lightheaded to relax or fight back. You could feel his breath on your cheek, and the scent of his cologne and coffee.

"I am not your property, remember?" He was much too close now. You began to pull back, but his hand was forcing you in place. Was he doing what you were thinking that he was doing-

The elevator beeped, and you both looked up at the sound of the noise. Relieved, you dropped your guard, your body relaxing in his hands.

That was a mistake.

With a push, he had you pinned against the wall. There was a malicious grin on his face, and you knew what was going to happen before it did.

He closed the distance between you quickly, pressing his lips onto yours roughly. It didn't feel so much like a sweet kiss- you gasp, your breath literally taken away. He was consuming you, demanding, rough. There was some anger in the kiss, a hot raging fire which fuelled his almost violent movements. He then paused, sucking softly on your lower lip, as if to show his gentle side, before kissing you passionately again. You couldn't breathe. His grip on your neck was so tight, refusing to let you go, almost pleading for you to return his affections. It was almost suffocating- you had never felt so small in someone's arms before. But something about the moment felt right, and without even knowing it, you were beginning to enjoy it, fighting back against his dominance. At that very moment, he parted from you, and you could only stare at him in surprise, your lipstick all over his mouth. He wiped it away with his thumb playfully.

You were both panting. The energy from the kiss had been more draining than you thought. Your face slowly began to lose the colour that it had as you realized what happened. With that, he stepped out of the elevator, a smirk lighting up his eyes. You couldn't speak at all. "I forgot to mention something-" You stood there uselessly.

The elevator door began to close. You could still see him smiling.

"I can see you too."

* * *

 _Author's Note: I want to thank you all for the lovely reviews such as Canancy5, bidderlover, Meagmath17, and Madelicity (the Reader is with the FBI, to answer your question), specifically. All you readers and fans keep me going._ _This chapter is one that I had wanted you guys to read for a while. It is also quite long! So, do not expect another update as quick as these ones have been because I am officially back in school. It is marked as a rather important shift between the relationship between Reader and Eisuke- first kiss and all- but it also marks the point that they realized that they weren't so alone in the world after all, and there is someone else who can possibly understand them. To be honest, the Reader, in the past few chapters, has been more maid than Agent, but trust me, I didn't forget that element in the story. That's all for now- please favourite, follow, and most importantly, review. I hope you enjoy it._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Seven**

"He's a complete ass, Chisato."

After the kiss, you were mortified. It had been two weeks since your first official day as Ichinomiya's maid.

You knew that Ichinomiya was just messing with you, and it pissed you off.

You were with Chisato at a simple restaurant that you had both loved, and it was around three weeks since you had last seen her. It was an American-styled restaurant in the heart of Japan. You had ordered chicken and waffles, and Chisato had ordered a giant looking hamburger with a strawberry milkshake. You had almost salivated at the look of that milkshake, but shook your head, reminding yourself to fight against your urges.

She was barely listening to your rant, her mouth completely filled with her burger. She swallowed. "Bacon cheeseburger."

You lifted your fork in order to point it against her face. "Chisato, I will kill you."

She starts laughing, nearly choking on her food. "I cannot believe that you are getting frisky with Ichinomiya."

"I am not 'getting frisky' with him!" You whispered, stabbing your chicken violently before shoving it in your mouth. Through your chews, you could barely speak, "He's just fucking with me!"

"He wants to be fucking you, you mean." She said disinterestedly.

"Chisato!"

She shoved a handful of fries into her mouth, smearing ketchup on her cheeks. You started laughing. Chisato had never looked like less of agent than this moment. "Jesus Christ, I'm starving. I'm hungry as hell, my feet hurt, I'm dealing with assholes all day. Being a maid is literally the most difficult thing in the world. They're the real heroes."

"That's actually true," you sigh. "And they get paid shit."

"Mmm," she hummed, "This lunch is on me, by the way."

"What?" You asked, confused. "Why?"

She kept munching as she pulled out a pen and paper to write with. _The case_. "You know how bored I was getting."

"You don't need to thank me for being an idiot and getting kidnapped."

She takes a giant slurp from the milkshake. "You're right. Never mind, lunch is on you, then."

"Oh, fuck off."

"How's working for the man?"

"Ridiculous, as ever. He loves eating sweets, did you know that? He loves to tease me and I even have to fill out his paperwork because 'he loves watching me do it'." The man had driven you crazy, making messes here and there whenever he had free time. However, in his defense, it wasn't as if it were often that he had free time. In fact, after the kiss, you had been very civil with him in the past few days, though you still refused to be in a room alone with him.

He even let you retire early on some days, as he was often accosted by meetings and various other things. You didn't know whether it was because of the talk that you had or because of… other reasons. Regardless, you hadn't got any information from him, Oh, or the detective, Kishi. You barely even saw the other two men, Ota and Baba. The only clues which you had found in the last two weeks was the card you had found in the panty, and it was only now that you could hand it to Chisato, who had been involved with the police precinct.

"So, what's the plan, sexy maid?" You glared at the name she gave you. You had changed out of your black outfit, wearing a sensible classic white blouse and typical grey office pants. You had told her about Eisuke's outfit, the auctions, the card, and she had proceeded to laugh her ass off at you. You conveniently left out the part where Eisuke had gotten a little touchy with you, as you were sure you would never hear the end of it.

You begin to write on the pen and paper. _I need you to come with me and sneak with me to the auctions._ You grabbed the card with the white rabbit on it out of your pocket and slid it to her inconspicuously. Without a beat, she had slid it into her bag without hesitation. _I heard Baba talking about it. Another auction tomorrow. After you've taken it to the lab, leave it at the usual place and I'll go pick it up. We meet at the bar at around 10:00 pm._ It was normal for you and her to have these conversations whilst pretending to talk about something else entirely.

Chisato simply keeps nodding at your words. You know that she would definitely be there.

"And this time, actually have my back." _I don't want to be sold again._

She laughed. "I cannot believe that I was unclogging a toilet the moment you were getting yourself sold to Ichinomiya." She covers her mouth with her hands to supress her chuckles, and you can't help but glare at her with a grin threatening to show on your mouth. "How is he in person? What's he _really_ like?"

"Arrogant and rude. He's possessive too. He saw me with Takahiro a while ago and promptly lost his shit."

"Takahiro?" She munched, "The poor sap."

"Ichinomiya nearly made him piss himself, the nice guy." You continued on your impressions about Eisuke, writing on the pad. _I found three dime bags of cocaine in his room. I need you to get me some from the precinct so I can switch them and get his prints._

She nods at you again, speaking loudly. "Is it because of that double date that Sakiko was talking about? She's been waiting for your confirmation, you know- she invited me to make it a triple date." _Anything else about Ichinomiya?_

 _No family. No girlfriend. Might have a drinking problem. Any news about Soryu Oh?_ "Who are you going to bring, your dad?"

 _Japanese police are gearing up for a big raid. Might be a rival gang. Don't believe that they're really targeting the Dragons_. _The boss barely slept for the past few days. We'll call your burn phone if we need help. If you get a tip, just look for me, I'll relay the message. They're smart._ You huff in annoyance. "I'll bring someone, don't you worry yourself. Do you need me to set you up on some blind dates? Takahiro doesn't seem to be much your type."

"He's plenty my type," You said, ripping the papers off of the pad and ripping it into seven equal pieces before handing it to Chisato to burn. "Nice and normal. Not much a girl could ask for," You hear the bell jingling at the door. You eye the entrance of the restaurant, realizing that a familiar face had entered the premises.

Your eyes grew large in alarm. No time to write down a message. "I heard that the zoo has a new _mole_ exhibition," you whisper clearly to Chisato. She didn't move, her eyes facing forward. "I saw that on the news at _five o'clock_." You relay the coded message out loud, telling her that the mole had entered the premises, on her five o'clock. She needed to know what he looked like.

He didn't see you yet. You couldn't let him see Chisato, or let them know that you were casual friends. If he saw her entering the auctions, which would basically blow your cover. Plus, you're sure than Eisuke had sent him here to look for you. You looked at your watch. Your lunch hour was over thirty minutes ago.

"Eisuke sent him. Don't let him see you. Memorise his face for the boss." You whisper quickly and she doesn't move, but watches you as you exit the booth, cleanly, making your way to the front, where he was seemingly waiting at the small bar.

"Hello, Detective Kishi."

"Kid," He nods at you, escorting you out of the premises. You stand at the door of the restaurant, watching as he lights up a cigarette and inhales deeply. This man, as lazy and unkempt looking as he was, was a detective. You had to be careful when you lied to him.

"Are you here for me? I'm flattered." You say, smiling at him as innocently as you possibly could. He snorted, flicking the ashes on the floor.

"Dream on, kid." He said, shoving his other hand in his pocket. He looked like a deadbeat detective, someone who had lost his faith in the system a long time ago. "Eisuke wants you back, he's impatient." You looked at him, his old suit, his stained tie, and the worn-out shoes. There was nothing sadder than a person who no longer cared.

You change the subject. "Can I bum one?" You ask, nodding towards the cigarette. He looks at you in surprise, pulling out the pack from his other pocket.

"I don't think Eisuke likes his girls smoky." He huffed, but handing one to you anyways. He flicked open a light, holding it to your lips as you inhale.

 _Like I give a fuck_ , you thought. You let in a deep inhale, and exhaled, letting the cigarette smoke pass your lips. You didn't smoke often, in fact, it wasn't like you enjoyed it much. But you wanted to get to know Kishi, and cigarettes helped calm you down.

"These cigarettes are fucking disgusting," you murmur, flicking it with your thumb.

"Not all of us can afford a million dollar cigarettes," He said, though he chuckled. "How'd a girl like you get herself into this mess anyways?"

"Everyone makes mistakes," You said, shrugging your shoulders. From behind, you could feel the restaurant door open. You looked down, recognizing the blue high heels as Chisato's shoes, and knew that she had just taken a good look at Kishi's face. "But you guys, spending millions of dollars on me? Who's the stupid one now?"

"Even Eisuke doesn't want to see a girl sold in the auctions." He murmured, "He's weirdly sensitive about stuff like that."

"Seriously?" You ask, turning towards him in surprise. "Why?"

"I don't know, I'm not his best pal," He shrugged exaggeratedly. "But he is the one who bid on you. I think he thought it important, somehow."

You take a long drag on the cigarette. "He's a bit of an ass."

"I'm not going to argue with that, but I think that he's a good man." He said honestly. You turned to him in surprise. "He's not as bad as you probably think he is."

"That's doubtful."

"Don't be so pessimistic, girl. He might seem cold towards you, but I do think that he likes you."

"How on earth do you know that?"

He held his hands up. "I can just tell these things."

You two stood in silence at the entrance of the restaurant, cigarettes burning. There was something nice about the moment. Kishi didn't seem as bad as you thought him out to be either. You made a mental note to look more into him. He wasn't the money-hungry traitor that you had thought he was. He was more like a beaten down cop with nothing else to lose, and nothing else he cared about.

"So, what's your story?" You asked the man. "Why are you involved in something so goddamn shady? You're a detective."

His shoulders slumped visibly. "The other auction owners use me for information. I get money. What's so surprising, sweetheart?"

You knew that it was something more than that. This man wasn't solely motivated by money, no way. There was something more. "You're using them too, aren't you? You don't seem like the rest of them."

"Like Ota or Baba?" He snorted, "Thank you."

"No." You paused, years of interviewing suspects could give you some kind of gist on how to read people. The defeated look in eyes was obvious. He had lost someone- a girlfriend, friend, partner, family, or lover. When you lose the only thing which mattered to you, all you want to do is get it back. "Something that you loved." You had looked him up on the police file before you spoke with him. His file was disheartening as Eisuke's.

He snorted. "You can see that I care about nothing." He dropped his cigarette on the floor, smashing the remains to pieces with his shoe.

"No," you shook your head confidently. "You cared."

He looked at you wordlessly, and didn't offer you a response. His response was everything that you needed to know.

A long white limousine pulled up next to you both, and the chauffeur opened the door, gesturing to you. You looked at Kishi again, taking one last drag before you, too, stomped out your cigarette. Exhaling, you let out a big cloud of smoke, watched as it drifted in the wind, and dissolved into nothingness.

"Thanks for the cigarette." You said, and climbed inside the limousine. It pulled out and away from the curb, leaving Mamoru Kishi behind.

You turned back to look at his lingering figure, but he was already gone.

* * *

Author's Note:

Guess who's back, back again?

Hey guys, it's been a while. Don't worry, I have not abandoned the fic. In fact, I have written a lot of it over the summer, but have no time now because of school. This fic has turned into a longer monstrosity than I have expected. So, do not expect fast updates.

This chapter was just a grounding chapter, especially after last update's turning point. No Eisuke, but there was Mamo, for you Mamoru lovers. I expect him, as a detective, to play a bigger role in this story. And don't worry about Eisuke- Mr. Ichinomiya will be back next chapter in all his glory, and so the arguments between you and him will begin yet again. I also included Chisato, because I like the idea of the MC actually having a girl friend to talk with, especially about work stuff.

Thanks for the reviews and follows- they are the reasons why I keep writing here! They are so heartwarming. The thought that I put into the story makes me wish I could help Voltage turn my story into a visual novel, haha. But alas, I am just a person borrowing Eisuke for my own nefarious agenda. So, guys, tell me what you think about this chapter, what you want to see come up next, and I'll see you in the next one!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

When you've finally re-entered the Ichinomiya penthouse, you couldn't find Eisuke anywhere.

"Mr. Ichinomiya?" You called, noting the scent of alcohol in the air. He didn't answer you, not with a snarky remark on how you were late, or how you were his.

There was only silence.

"Mr. Ichinomiya?" You called again, scared of walking into him with a girl. You didn't not need that visual stored in your brain at all. For some reason, you couldn't get the image of Eisuke touching you in that moment. You couldn't help but wonder how he fucked. You winced at the thought. Where on earth was your brain leading you?

Finally, you were surprised to find that Eisuke was sprawled on the couch, which was uncharacteristic of him. You walked up to him, expecting him to be taking a light snooze, but that didn't seem to be the case. There was a laptop in front of him, still on, sleeping pills and booze.

Good lord, did he drug himself just so he could sleep?

You examined his face, noting that he was still breathing steadily and calmly. You picked up the pill bottle, reading the prescription, realizing that it was, in fact, prescribed to him. He wasn't stupid enough to overdose, was he?

He seemed to be murmuring something in his sleep, but nothing that you could make out. He was a bit sweaty, an indicator that he was uncomfortable. You noticed that the laptop was still on his e-mail. Feeling brave, despite the fact that your sleeping boss was right next to you, you decided to pry.

It was an e-mail from Soryu.

The first message read: _It wasn't her. Dr. Foster did the autopsy. My men are out looking for the man responsible. Don't lose hope, Eisuke._

Eisuke responded in a typical fashion. _Send me the symbol, and the details of the autopsy_.

 _You don't need to see the pictures._

 _I think I do_.

You clicked on the e-mail and gasped in horror. You had seen a lot in your past few years as an agent, but this was extensive. It was a dead girl, her face completely bashed in and bloody. Her face wasn't even visible anymore, her teeth bashed out, her cheekbones completely caved in. On her chest, right above her breasts, was a mark, a tattoo. It was a simple number, 23, with an X which crossed over the number.

You could feel Eisuke stir next to you and quickly exited the e-mail, scanning through everything else. Nothing. Eisuke was smart, there wasn't any old e-mails in his current inbox.

But you weren't thinking like a cop in that moment. You could only look at the man shuddering in discomfort in front of you. You brushed his hair away from his eyes, examining the tortured look in his eyes. His cheek was warm.

"What on earth are you investigating, Ichinomiya? Who are you looking for?" You whispered, stroking his face once before standing up. You'd get a cold towel and water in order to cool him off. You'd change into that uniform that he had seem to love so much. You'd buy him a cake, maybe.

You went to the bathroom, retrieved a towel, and opened the freezer, pulling out some ice cubes. You turned on the tap quietly, watching as cold water came shooting out of the faucet. You softly covered the towel, wringing out the excess water. You put one in the fridge for later use. Then, you mixed ice cubes with filtered water, carrying both over to the sleeping man.

You wiped his face off with a cold cloth, trying to cool him down. You put the glass of water, positioning it away from the laptop. You decided to leave him a quick note.

 _I'll be back in a bit. Buying cake and sweets for you. Don't get mad._

You couldn't figure out why you felt so sympathetic towards this man. Was it because, behind his haughty exterior, he was broken? You had never seen someone so prideful become so vulnerable in an instant. The weird pounding in your heart accompanied you as you threw on a light spring jacket. You clenched your chest tightly, willing the feeling to go away.

You left him behind, closing the door. It was only in that moment that your heart completely calmed itself, and you let out a strangled breath.

You quickly made your way to the basement, picking up a disposable phone, turning it on as you decided to talk and walk at the same time. For some reason, you felt bad for leaving him alone for so long. You began to walk briskly, inhaling the outside air as you exited the hotel the second time that day. You began to walk with the masses, making your way to the closest main street.

You make your way into one of your favourite sweet shops, smiling at the old owner who greeted you in extremely accented English. The only words he knew were "Hello" and "Good-bye", and you always appreciated that he made the effort to speak with you. But you knew it was safe here, because this place was an unknown gem in Japan. The man was traditional, there was a lack of CCTVs, and the place was mainly empty. You ordered a variety of sponge cakes in different flavours, mango, red bean, and green tea. You also ordered a milk tea for Eisuke. You sit down at one of the tables facing the entrance.

"Yes?" Grace answered.

"Was there a Jane Doe with a bashed-in face in the autopsy room lately?" You ask abruptly in English, speaking fast.

She sounded surprised. "Hello to you too?"

"Grace?"

"I don't know how you heard about that, but yeah, it's true."

"Ichinomiya got an e-mail about it," You whispered, watching as the owner got to work making your pastries. "He has a particular interest in the symbol on her chest."

"The number with the X, right? Number 23?" Grace sighed in defeat. "We think there's a large human trafficking group somewhere in Japan. All of the girls have numbers on them to identify which number they are, so to speak."

"Jesus…"

"I know. Recently, number 23- er, Jane Doe, was found in a river, her face completely bashed in."

"Was it an angry pimp?" You asked, expecting the typical response.

"It's something more than that. It's got the local police all fired up, girlie. Last week, we found number 22, her face bashed in with a crowbar, in a local farm not far from here."

You let out a sharp intake of breath. "Someone is eliminating them."

"Yes, well, that's what we're theorizing. We're looking for any number wherever right now. Er- not _we-_ it's not even my case. How do you know about this, anyways?"

"Eisuke's looking for someone with a mark like that on her chest." You finally realized why Eisuke had ripped your blouse open that night- to look for the symbol. Was he trying to save you? What on earth was his agenda? "Did you find anything with the mobster?"

"Nothing. All we did was eliminate another hideout for another Hong Kong mobster. For Christ's sake, Soryu's contacts run deep. Whenever we get a type about the Ice Dragons, we have to get a warrant to investigate the place. By the time the judge signs one, Oh and his mob are nowhere to be found."

"I'll try to find more information about him. I haven't seen him in what seems like ages. He doesn't trust me at all."

"He's a smart fellow."

"I want you to look into Mamoru Kishi and tell me everything you know about him. The mole is more interesting than he seems- I don't think he's in it for the money."

"Okay," she said, and you could hear here jotting down your instructions.

"And watch out for a Dr. Foster- Both Oh and Ichinomiya has him under their thumbs."

She let out a sharp gasp. "That name sounds bloody familiar. Okay, will do. Also, I know you spoke with Chisato today, and you guys are planning that auction sting. Keep me updated. Plus, keep an eye out, you hear? One of the girls may be sold."

"I hope to god that they won't be." You murmur. "Good luck with bureaucracy, I bet you're having the best time dealing with the Japanese captain."

"You don't know how good my Japanese is getting, girlie." She laughed. "Anyways-"

"Shit-" You whisper.

"What?"

You had been watching the door cautiously the entire time, ready to hang up at a moment's notice. You could see Eisuke Ichinomiya approaching the cake shop, slowly. He could see you through the glass doors. What on earth?

"Eisuke can see me. He knows I'm on the phone." You whisper quickly, "And it's not the phone that he permitted me. I'm hanging up now, if this phone calls you back, you're my mom, until I say the code of the day, okay?"

"Roger." She hangs up.

You hang up as casually as possible, crossing your legs. "Hahaha, bye mom!" You fake into the phone, before pressing the end button again as calm as you possibly could.

Eisuke opens the door roughly, walking towards your table, staring at you with crossed arms. He was fully dressed, in a suit and everything. He had an expensive watch on, and Italian loafers. If you didn't know any better, you would never have thought that he had been so troubled only a half hour ago. You bow your head, even though the right custom was to stand up. "Hello, Mr. Ichinomiya."

"What are you doing here?"

You frowned. "I left you a note. Did you not get it?"

"Did you have my permission to leave the apartment? You took an hour and a half lunch and decide to hang out a cake shop instead of resuming your job?"

You wince, realizing that it did sound quite ridiculous when he worded it that way. But he knew- knew that you did your job, and you weren't lazy. There was no reason for him to fear that you were taking advantage of his job. "I was getting you some cakes. You seemed upset."

He just glared at you. "I don't need cakes."

"I know you like them, you keep asking me to fetch them for you when you're upset or stressed." You said, crossing your arms. He huffed and takes the spot opposite you, pulling the chair back loudly. You weren't wrong, and you both knew it.

"Miss!" The owner called you, and you smiled, standing up, grabbing the cakes and the milk tea from him. You grab your wallet and pay for them, leaving a generous tip.

"Thank you very much." You said, and he winks at you, nodding towards Eisuke.

"Is that your boyfriend?" He whispered. "He's a rather imposing man."

You laugh. "No, he wishes. He's just my boss."

"You bought these for him?" The owner questioned you, tilting his head to the side. "Quite kind of you."

You just look at him. "I don't know what you're insinuating, but you need to stop." The owner laughs out loud, "He just thinks me a pest, and I wouldn't have it any other way. We're going to sit out at the patio, is that okay?"

"Please. Enjoy yourself." He bows at you again, and retreats back into the kitchen.

You turn around, and from behind, you could see that Eisuke was waiting for you, checking his watch impatiently. You nod your head at him. "Let's sit outside, shall we?"

"We don't have time for that." He said, impatiently, "I have to meet a client in an hour. I haven't a clue where my materials are-"

"I left them in a yellow folder in your laptop bag in the office." You interrupt him, and he glares at you as if you had just gravely offended him. "Fifteen minutes, okay? You've been working like crazy because of the merger."

You walked outside, and you could feel him following you. You take a spot at the outside patio. It was simple enough, with white painted chairs and an elegant looking table. You could hear the bustle of the city, of life. When you closed your eyes, you could feel the wind blow through your hair like a lover's kiss.

"You knew about that?" He asked, surprised.

"It's the only thing you've been talking about. All those files you asked me to photocopy? Honestly, I'm basically your executive assistant _and_ maid whenever you work in the penthouse. Relax, will you?" He huffed and takes the spot opposite you, pulling the chair back loudly. You weren't wrong, and you both knew it.

You open the box of cakes, pulling out utensils from the plastic bag. You hand a glowering Eisuke a fork.

"Where are the plates?" He asked.

You sigh. Sometimes you forget that rich people were ridiculous. "Just this once, let's just eat like barbarians from out of the box, okay?" You dig in the green tea cake, and though Eisuke didn't stop glaring at you, he followed suit, picking out a mango-flavoured mini cake. You closed your eyes at the flavour- it was so rich and creamy, bathing your tongue in a million different flavours.

"This is good," You murmur to yourself, before you remembered that you had also bought him a milk tea. Reaching into the plastic bag, you offer it to him. "Here."

"What?"

"This is for you," You said awkwardly, holding it in the air. He didn't make a motion to take it, so you were stuck in some kind of awkward no-man's-land position. "You like this, right? You always ask the runners to get you one, so I thought-"

He looked extremely shocked, and you were nearly equally at surprised because of the look on his face. His large hand enveloped your own and he took the drink. You just looked at him suspiciously. Did no one offer to buy him anything before? You just couldn't understand what he was thinking.

You continued munching before he interrupted. "Did you not get one for yourself?"

"No," You wave him off, "I'm good."

"Do you not have enough money?"

You just raise your stare and match it. He seemed genuinely confused, and was not just acting like the jackass he usually was. "I have enough money, I just chose not to spend it on anything else." You said, almost hotly. What a ridiculous question.

"You paid for this." He said, and you continued to eat, digging into the red bean cake. "I can't-"

"Eisuke, please, drop the bloody ego for now and just enjoy the food, okay? It's my treat." You murmur. _You spent twenty million dollars on me, cakes are nothing_. You didn't want to voice that thought, though, because he would become extremely insufferable.

You continued to eat, feeling annoyed, pissed off, and confused all at once. All you wanted to do was a nice thing for him, and Eisuke had to continue to be Eisuke. You spent a few minutes in silence before Eisuke dropped his fork and cleared his throat.

"-est." At that word, you looked up from your gaze again and made eye contact with him again.

You huff sarcastically, "I beg your pardon?"

"Pest." He strained out, as if the words were physically hurting him. "I do not think you are a pest."

"What?" You were suddenly reminded of the conversation you shared with the shop owner. "Oh. Thanks." You didn't know what else to say. You supposed that coming from Eisuke, it was a compliment.

"You are a… good worker." He continued to speak.

"Uh…" Even you stopped eating at the odd conversation you were sharing.

He cleared his throat. "About today. I suppose that you deserved that extra half hour at lunch. I overreacted."

Normal human beings would have apologized, but at that moment, you forgot that you were speaking with Eisuke Ichnomiya. Still, you continued to be speechless at this ridiculous monologue.

"When you found me sleeping and left the water for me... you did a good job."

You wished that you could disappear from this moment or melt into your shoes. This was the weirdest employee evaluation you have ever experienced in your life. If only Chisato were here, she would be crying tears of laughter.

You awkwardly looked up and met his eyes by accident. His brown eyes were the warmest you had ever seen them, and the sadistic smirk which usually accompanied his face was accompanied with a look of content. He wasn't smiling, by any means, but there was a sense of calmness which showed on his face that you had never seen before.

You relax your shoulders. "Thanks," You said, and you meant it this time.

"That being said, I do need you for a special job."

You lean forward to hear him out. "Yes?"

"There's a man. He's a business associate, and his daughter, Carolina, is rather fond of me." You had no idea where his words were going. "I have a deal to make with Mr. Bucci, at a party."

"Sounds easy enough," you offer, "If the girl likes you, it could make your life much easier. Just use that to your advantage, Mr. Ichinomiya, I'm sure it's not something out of character for you."

"It's not that simple," He snapped, sounding much like the old Eisuke. "The girl is insufferable. I cannot handle dealing with her for a week, let alone for the rest of my life."

"It's not like you're going to be forced to marry her," You said, though the look in his eyes said otherwise.

"I cannot risk my business relations by insulting Mr. Bucci's daughter. I have informed them that I already have a partner. That's where your help comes in."

"Oh." You realized what he was asking you. "You want me to look for some of your old girlfriends and ask them to accompany you to the party? I can do that, but you owe me. I'm sure when I ask them, I'm going to get slapped before they inevitably-" You abruptly stop your sentence, realizing the more you went on, the more deeply he scowled.

"I meant you."

You opened and closed your mouth like a confused fish before you found your voice again. "Oh. Of course, I can do that for you. All I have to do is go to this party?"

"You have to be my girlfriend for the party, yes."

"That doesn't seem to be too hard," You said, digging into the green tea cake again, "Even though I have to spend some more time in your company." Though you were a bit surprised, it wasn't as if you couldn't handle doing something so elementary. "When's the party?"

"Tomorrow night."

Your fork paused in the middle of decimating the cake. Tomorrow? The day of the auctions? How? You couldn't possibly be in two places at once- maybe Eisuke could ditch the secret auction, but you couldn't! You had been waiting for weeks and weeks just to see it again. You couldn't possibly miss it. "I- Eisuke, you gave me Sundays off," you offer lamely, and both of you knew that it was a sorry excuse.

"Not this Sunday," was his answer, plain and simple. He appraised you with judging cold eyes, as if daring you to say no.

"Eisuke, I'm so sorry. I can't do tomorrow evening." You actually feel bad when you offer this apology.

"What?" He looked gravely offended. "Why?"

"I have… plans." You murmur, though it was barely audible. It was like you knew that the bomb was set to explode in only a matter of moments.

"Plans?" He said sarcastically. " _Important_ plans?"

"Very important!" You said, though you couldn't look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, I sincerely can't-" It was as if all the light had drained from your previous humorous conversation.

"Who were you on the phone with?" He asked, startling you with the question. You knew it was a topic that he had wanted to bring up the moment he stepped into the cake shop. "That's not the phone that I gave you. Who are you talking to that you don't want me to know?"

"Eisuke, it was just my mother," You said, feeling more and more constricted by the moment.

"You can't talk to your mother on the phone that I permitted you?" He sounded disbelieving.

"I wanted to have a private conversation. All I do is talk to my friends." You say honestly. He wasn't buying it.

"Are you talking to other men?" He asks you quite frankly. You would have laughed if it weren't for the deathly serious look in his eyes. "Are these plans with other men?"

"No!" You said, getting angrier by the moment. The fact that you had defend yourself was an embarrassment in and out of itself. "I don't see what the problem is! Just take another girl- I'll try getting into contact with-"

"That's not the problem." He snapped.

"What?"

"Who are these plans with?"

Dangerously, you could feel your temper rising. Despite your better judgement, you snap back at him, "It's none of your business, Eisuke."

His eyes flash. "You don't say no to me," He said, "Not after all the things that I let you get away with." You could tell that he was more furious than he was letting on, but you could say nothing. He stood up, returning back to the cold man that you had originally known. Without a word, he turned his back and walked away. You watched after him, your fingers turning cold.

He was so pissed that he didn't even confiscate your phone. There was something about the whole situation that was unsettling you. You held your head in your hands. _Why didn't I just say that I was meeting with my parents?_ You scolded yourself, trying not to reflect upon the hurt within his eyes.

You didn't understand why he was so pissed, not really. But you got the gist of it- He had opened up to you this afternoon, and without hesitation, you had managed to close the door right in his face. You stared at the remains of the food, and the half-empty milk tea. You didn't feel very hungry anymore.

You looked up in the sky, watching as clouds passed over your head. You couldn't help but think that the day would be made better with Eisuke's company. There was no more wind today, the day stopped like someone had pressed a pause button. You shivered again, covering your arms with your chest.

Though you could feel the blistering sunshine on your skin, for some reason, in this moment, you were feeling rather cold and empty.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Oh Reader, you somehow always manage to piss off Eisuke. Why do both of you make it so hard, you stubborn fools?_

 _Hey guys! I thought I'd surprise you guys with a long update that I had written in the past. Hope you like it. As promised, there was some Eisuke action! Please tell me what you guys think. The plot is moving forward, albeit slowly. Hopefully you guys picked up the hints that I put down._

 _As always, reviews are welcome (and the only thing keeping me writing)! Again, don't expect another update until around a month (or more, depending on how much time I have). Now, with that, I'll (regretfully) return to schoolwork. Hope you enjoy._


End file.
